Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ergonomic thermoluminescent dosimeter adapter and a method for opening a package of thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD hereafter) using the adapter.
Description of the Related Art
A thermoluminescent dosimeter is used to measure radiation exposure of a worker. A conventional TLD opening tool poses an ergonomic problem because the tool is made from metal and the width of the tool is less than 2 inches. Use of the conventional tool requires the worker to move the wrist frequently in flexion or extension (up or down) and in ulnar and radial (side to side) movements in order to depress a raised steel band and then open the TLD holder. A pinch grip by the thumb is also needed to depress the raised steel band. Rapidly and frequently producing these motions for extended periods are considered to be hazard risk factors which can lead to repetitive motion injuries. In one application, on average, four to eight TLD holders may be opened by an employee every minute. Over a thousand may be processed in a night and several thousand by the end of a week. Hence there is a need for an adapter for the conventional tool and a method of using the adapter that would eliminate or reduce the amount of repetitive motions in the process of opening a TLD.